OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) – Oct 28rd, 2025
Among the hundreds of photos displayed on poster boards at the Lost Voices of Fentanyl Rally in Washington D.C., their smiles frozen in time, stands a survivor, sixteen-year-old Caden Hill, holding a collage of photos of his mother, Lauran Hill, who died from fentanyl poisoning on October 4, 2022. It is his first trip to Washington, D.C., and his first time speaking to a crowd about the tragedy that changed his life forever.
Two years ago, Caden’s life changed forever when his mother Lauran Hill died. Toxicology reports from the Oklahoma Board of Medicolegal Investigations confirmed that fentanyl was present in her system, a deadly synthetic opioid that has become the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.
Rather than let grief consume him, Caden made a choice: he would turn his pain into purpose, ensuring that other families don’t experience the devastation his has endured.
Faith, Flight, and the Future
I wasn’t expecting someone so well-prepared. When I dialed Caden Hill’s number, I went into the conversation with kid gloves, ready to tread carefully around a grieving teenager’s trauma. I left with a spiritual workout.
When Caden Hill answers the question “How are you doing?” the 16-year-old doesn’t offer the usual teenage response of “fine.” Instead, he speaks with a gravity beyond his years.
“It is really hard on my end to grow up this fast,” he said during our interview. “But I know that I can’t sit here every day and just cry. I have to get up and I have to make awareness about the whole fentanyl poisoning.”
I could feel the experience in Caden’s words, each sentence carrying the weight of lessons learned too young, wisdom earned through suffering. I found myself reaching for my wife’s hand through most of the conversation, needing an anchor to keep pace with this young man’s extraordinary strength.
Faith As Foundation
In the aftermath of losing his mother, Caden found solace in an unexpected place: the Bible.
“I’ve read the Bible and that’s the only thing I got sometimes,” he said simply.
His faith, he believes, has carried him through the darkest moments. When asked if he believes Jesus has sustained him through this ordeal, his response was immediate: “Yes, he has definitely. He’s carried me.”
That faith was tested when a trip to Washington, D.C. for advocacy work seemed impossible due to lack of funding. Caden received a call from advocate Jacob Towe, father of three-year-old Leo Towe, who died from fentanyl exposure in June 2024, the night before the planned trip, informing him they wouldn’t be able to go.
“Then literally, like, the next morning, he calls me and said, a God miracle just happened, pack a bag. We’re going to DC. We have enough money. It happened overnight,” Caden recalled, his voice still filled with wonder at the memory.
For Caden, moments like these reinforce his belief that his advocacy work is part of a larger purpose, that his mother’s death, though tragic, can serve to save other lives. “I think it was God’s way of saying, keep going,” he says.
A Father’s Wisdom and A Son’s Dreams
Caden’s father, Samuel Hill, has been navigating his own grief while supporting his son through the worst experience of both their lives. Working long hours, with only one day off per week, Samuel is doing his best to provide stability for his family while honoring his late wife’s memory.
When asked what he would want to tell people about what his family has been through, Samuel’s response was simple but profound.
“Just love your loved ones, man. Hug them because you never know what tomorrow will bring. Tell them you love them.”
It’s advice born from the painful reality that Lauran Hill’s death came without warning, leaving behind a family that must now navigate life without her.
The weight of Caden’s mission is made heavier by the simple fact of his age. At 16, he should be focused on homework, friends, and planning for prom. Instead, he’s navigating grief, speaking out about a national crisis, and processing trauma that would challenge adults twice his age.
He currently attends school online, a decision that provides the flexibility he needs to manage both his education and his advocacy work. Despite everything, he maintains clear goals for his future.
“I’m probably gonna get my bachelor’s and I’ll go to be a certified occupational therapy assistant, or I’ll go on to be somebody over at American Airlines,” he said, weighing two career paths that both appeal to him. “They both make really good money, but with being at American Airlines, you get to fly for free, you only have to pay the taxes.”
It’s a glimpse of the normal teenage dreams that persist beneath the surface of his grief; dreams of travel, of a stable career, of a life built despite loss. “I have my eyes on one of the two,” he laughs.
Turning Grief Into Action
Not every teenager who experiences tragedy finds the strength to transform it into advocacy. Caden could have retreated into isolation, let his grades slip, turned to destructive coping mechanisms. Instead, he made a conscious decision to channel his pain into something that could help others.
“I have to make awareness about it to make sure that other kids and other parents and other teenagers don’t pass away from the fentanyl poisoning,” he said. “We have to make you aware that it is a really big thing.”
His advocacy work has already taken him to the nation’s capital, connecting him with other families affected by the opioid crisis and with policymakers working to address the epidemic. He’s building a network of support while amplifying a message that could save lives.
A Message From Caden
If Caden could tell every teenager in America one thing, his message would be crystal clear and uncompromising.
“You do not ever, and I mean ever, take anything from anybody that they give you!” he said, his voice firm with conviction. “You don’t ever take anything from anybody, period.”
It’s a warning born from hard-won experience. Caden understands that in an era of counterfeit pills and fentanyl-laced substances, even what appears to be a prescription medication from a friend could be a death sentence.
“You don’t know what that person is trying to do to you,” he explained. “You don’t know if they’re really trying to be your friend and give you that certain something, or if they’re trying to turn their back on you and give you fentanyl to kill you. You don’t know what’s on their mind.”
This year, Caden has been particularly concerned about reports of fentanyl being found in candy and gumballs, a terrifying evolution in the drug crisis that puts even casual contact with substances at risk.
“How does it go from being in the pills and the drugs and things to going into candy and such now?” he asked, voicing a question that troubles parents and law enforcement across the country. “Like, how does that happen?”
The answer, tragically, is that drug traffickers continue to find new ways to package and distribute fentanyl, often disguising it in forms that appear harmless.
The Fentanyl Crisis: A National Emergency
Caden’s story is far from unique. In 2023, more than 105,000 Americans died from drug poisoining, with approximately 70% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The drug is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
In Oklahoma specifically, fentanyl-involved deaths rose from approximately 50 in 2019 to more than 700 in 2023, a fifteen-fold increase in just four years, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. While recent nationwide data shows drug poisoning deaths declining from their 2022 peak, Oklahoma continues to grapple with the crisis, with no community immune to its reach.
The epidemic has sparked legislative action across the state. Oklahoma lawmakers are working on “Leo’s Law,” named after three-year-old Leonardo Towe, who died from fentanyl exposure while in his mother’s custody in June 2024. The proposed legislation would require mandatory fentanyl drug testing by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services whenever fentanyl is suspected in a case before children are returned to a parent’s custody.
On November 14th, families, advocates, and lawmakers will gather at the Oklahoma State Capitol from 11-4 PM for a Fentanyl Awareness Rally in support of Leo’s Law. Attendees are encouraged to bring candles and balloons for a sunset memorial honoring those lost to fentanyl poisoning. Oklahoma Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert is expected to introduce language from Leo’s Law at the rally, marking a pivotal moment in the push for legislative change.
Speaker Hilbert has already tasked his legal team with drafting the bill for introduction during the spring 2026 legislative session. State Representative JJ Humphrey has endorsed the effort, and Senator Todd Gollihare has expressed interest in sponsorship. Leo’s father, Jacob Towe, has taken his advocacy to the national stage, speaking at rallies in Washington, D.C., where Leo’s picture joins thousands of others in one of the country’s most visible displays of grief and calls for action against the fentanyl crisis.
Related legislation is also moving forward. HB 1484, known as “Rain’s Law,” would require Oklahoma schools to integrate fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness into existing health education programs. Together, these efforts represent a growing movement of parents, lawmakers, and community leaders demanding stronger protections and accountability.
What makes fentanyl particularly deadly is its prevalence in counterfeit pills made to look like legitimate prescription medications such as Xanax, Percocet, or Adderall. Young people obtaining pills from friends or online sources often have no idea they’re consuming fentanyl until it’s too late.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued repeated warnings about the crisis, noting that just 1 milligram of fentanyl, the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is lethal. Unlike heroin or prescription opioids, fentanyl’s extreme potency means there’s virtually no margin for error. A single pill can contain a fatal dose.
“Rainbow fentanyl, ” brightly colored pills designed to appeal to younger users, has been seized in communities across the country, including Oklahoma. Law enforcement officials warn that drug traffickers are deliberately marketing to children and teenagers, making Caden’s message of “never take anything from anyone” more urgent than ever.
Caden’s advocacy aligns with this growing movement. From Leo’s Law addressing child welfare system gaps to proposed school-based education programs like Rain’s Law, Oklahoma families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl are turning their grief into action, and into laws that could save lives. The November 14th rally represents not just a memorial, but a mobilization: parents, teenagers, lawmakers, and community members standing together to demand change.
The Path Forward
Caden acknowledges that the road ahead won’t be easy. There are days when the grief feels overwhelming, when the unfairness of growing up without his mother threatens to consume him. But his faith, his father’s support, and his sense of purpose keep him moving forward.
He’s currently in 10th grade and has his sights set on college and a meaningful career. Whether he ends up in occupational therapy, helping people recover from injuries and build better lives, or working for an airline, connecting people across the country and the world, he plans to continue his advocacy work.
“I’m a smart person,” he said with quiet confidence; a reminder that beneath the tragedy and the advocacy work, he’s still a 16-year-old kid with dreams and potential.
On November 14th, the Oklahoma State Capitol lawn will fill with white crosses and candles. Some will carry photographs of strangers, some of friends. One will bear the name Lauran Hill; mother, daughter, victim of the fentanyl crisis and, through her son, a voice that will not stay silent.
The Mission: Leo’s Law
Caden and Jacob Towe traveled to Washington D.C. for the Lost Voices of Fentanyl rally earlier this year, where they stood among thousands of families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning. They will speak again on November 14th at the Oklahoma State Capitol, where organizers will plant more than 1,000 white crosses, each representing a life cut short.
Their advocacy aligns with the push for Leo’s Law. While state legislators work on the bill, Caden and Jacob continue to do what they can: tell their stories, one microphone at a time, turning unimaginable loss into a mission to protect other children and families.
If Caden Hill’s message reaches just one teenager who decides not to take that pill from a friend, not to experiment with that substance from an unknown source, his mother’s death will have prevented another family from experiencing the same heartbreak.
In a world where fentanyl can be hidden in everything from prescription pills to candy, where a single mistake can be fatal, Caden’s hard-won wisdom offers a lifeline.
For families navigating the fentanyl crisis, for teenagers facing peer pressure to experiment with substances, for anyone who believes “it won’t happen to me,” Caden’s story serves as both a warning and a call to action.
Lauran Hill’s life ended too soon, cut short by a drug crisis that continues to claim thousands of lives each year; however, through her son’s courage and determination her legacy lives on, not in how she died, but in how many lives her death might ultimately save.
As Samuel and Caden Hill reminds us: Just love your loved ones, man. Hug them because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
It’s advice we all need to hear. And it’s a message his son Caden Hill will continue to share, one conversation at a time, for as long as it takes.
Writing By: Robbie Robertson | Editing by Robbie Robertson
Editor’s Note: The Oklahoma Post will track the progress of Leo’s Law through the 2026 session and beyond. Some other great outlets such as KJRH are also following the progress of the new legislation.
RESOURCES FOR HELP:
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7) Facing Fentanyl: www.facingfentanyl.org Song for Charlie: www.songforcharlie.org Partnership to End Addiction: www.drugfree.org
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, help is available.
Event Information:
Lost Voices of Fentanyl – Oklahoma Capitol Awareness Rally
November 14 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Over 1,000 memorial crosses will be displayed to honor victims of fentanyl poisoning.
Go Fund Me: Fundraiser by Jacob Towe : Leo’s Law
Events QR Code
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